Gerald was born in Hastings on 22nd June 1934 and lived virtually the whole of his life in either Hastings or St Leonards.  His grandfather was a wheelwright, his father had various jobs before the 2nd World War, his uncle Barry began working for the Hastings County Borough Council before the War. Gerald’s father volunteered to join the Army in the summer of 1939 and was part of the Army sent to France.  After the fall of France Gerald with his mother, brother and maternal grandmother evacuated to Gainsborough but were only away for about 1 year.  In 1945 Gerald sat for a scholarship to the Hastings Grammar School and started there in September of that year in the “A” stream.  He remained in that stream until the summer of 1950 notwithstanding a period of 20 months spent living in Greece where his father was stationed after the war; a stay which left him with a passion for Greek  food and alcohol.  In 1950 he was part of the last pupils to take the School Certificate and obtained Matriculation Exemption.  That was followed by 2 years in the 6th Form notable for his appearances in the School 1st Cricket XI in 1951 and 1952. His achievement of a 50 in 1951 is recorded in the only newspaper cuttings he ever kept.
 
 In September 1952 he started work in the office of John Lester, a local solicitor, where he was Articled.  There he learned about the wonders of work in the Courts, as well as conveyancing and probate and also the ability to buy lunch material to be consumed with John Lester sitting on the sea wall at Pett Level on the way to the thrice weekly visits to Lester’s Rye office.  In 1958, having as he put it “fooled the examiners for the last time” he qualified as a Solicitor.  The Army decided that he was not suitable to do National Service so he stayed with John Lester and was soon to be found in all the local Magistrates Courts, the County Court and the County Court Office.   His work expanded in the early 1960s when he became one of the local solicitors instructed by the Hastings Borough Police Force to Prosecute in the Magistrates Court.  The high point of his career in that field was making two appearances as an Advocate in the Hastings Quarter Sessions; representing two young men who had been part of the mods and rockers riot in the Borough. In 1970 he became a partner in the firm of John Lester & Co and was also made “A Commissioner for Oaths” by the then Lord Chancellor.
 
In March 1976 he set up his own practice, Gerald Funnell & Co, in Queens Road, Hastings which prospered and expanded. In 1990 the firm merged with Perring & Co to form Funnell & Perring. He retired from the Practice in 2006. In 1990 he became Chairman of the Solicitors Property Group until 2000 when it was disbanded.  In 1989 he became President of the Hastings & District Law Society.
 
He was an active lifelong member of Christ Church, St Leonards and was involved with many aspects of the church over the years. In 1968 he became a Member of the Committee of the Christ Church House Improvement Society Limited.  In 1965 he became one of the Trustees of the Patronage of Christ Church, St Leonards, remaining so until 2014. He served on the Committee of the Hastings Central Cricket Ground from 1984 until 2004.
 
He married Lesley Langford in 1960 and they had three children, Sarah, Joanna, and Dominic who is married to Tish and they have three children Xanthe, Hamish & Cameron.  He was divorced in 1978 and for 6 years lived above his office in Queens Road where he had a large railway layout still remembered by local solicitors and others.  In 1984 he married Joy Parrott, the daughter of a local councillor and with her enjoyed a variety of camping holidays in France and Switzerland, latterly enjoying holidays of varying lengths in China, the USA, Canada, Greece and Venice. He continued to enjoy his hobbies of classical music, reading and model railways throughout his retirement.

Gerald was much loved. He is greatly missed and will always be remembered.

Obituary for Gerald published by the Hastings & Rye Observer 2nd February 2023

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/tribute-to-warm-generous-kind-and-loving-hastings-solicitor-gerald-funnell-4011484